




DEPARTMENT OF 

TECHNICAL AND CHEMICAL RESEARCH 


CONDUCTED BY 

NEW YORK PHOTO ENGRAVERS UNION No. 1 
1. P. E. U. of N. A. 


UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
EDWARD J. VOLZ AND AMOS H. SPALDING 


ECOGNIZING the need for authoritative informa¬ 
tion upon the various branches of photo-mechan¬ 
ical processes of reproduction and the kindred 
lines of 'work, the New York Photo Engravers’ 
Union decided to meet the issue, and to that end have 
established a Technical and Chemical Research Department 
which is to be supplemented with an Experimental Plant for the 
use of its members. 

It is hoped through this department to further encourage 
the membership to become familiar with all methods of plate¬ 
making for printing purposes and not to confine their knowl¬ 
edge to any specific branch; to welcome and adapt themselves 
to any new process for the making of printing plates of any 
nature which may from time to time be required. 

The many years of practical experience and the technical 
knowledge possessed by our members should aid them mate¬ 
rially in developing as near perfection as possible all present 
known methods of engraving and plate-making, and should 
be the means of them introducing from time to time new and 
practical methods for illustrative purposes. 

In order that every possible good may be derived from 
these papers, they should be read and studied carefully and put 
to practical use wherever possible. These papers can only be 
obtained through the committee in charge of this work, and 
are only intended for circulation among the members of the 
L P. E. U. 

This department is under the supervision of the Executive 

Board of the New York Union. 


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TK180 

.IS- 

PHOTOGRAVURE 

By M. RAOUL PELLISSIER 

(Reprint from American Annual of Photography, 1916.) 

HOTOGRAVURE is undoubtedly the finest of all 
the mechanical or semi-mechanical processes and is 
becoming so well known and sought after that per¬ 
haps a few remarks on the process will be welcomed. 
It is unsurpassed for richness and depth, and yet the 
softest and most delicate details can be brought out, the whole 
unbroken by the use of any screen. 

The first essential is a good negative from which all spots 
should be carefully eliminated by retouching. As photo¬ 
gravures are made from a positive or transparency this is 
of more importance than some would think. A print from a 
negative necessarily must lose something in the printing, and 
as the print has to be photographed to obtain a negative, still 
more final detail is lost. 

Now, in a double camera, that is a camera with the lens in 
the middle and the bellows (square) continued ahead with 
adaptable carriers in front, we place the negative to be photo¬ 
graphed to obtain our reversed positive. The simplest way to 
assure its being reversed is to always make sure that the nega¬ 
tive is placed in the front carrier, film side out, or glass side to¬ 
wards the lens. 

This reverse positive, when dry, should be carefully re¬ 
touched, all white spots touched out but never so that they 
appear heavier than their immediate surroundings, as they 
will in that case be accentuated in the etching, and be difficult 
to get rid of. Above all put in with a soft pencil a few crisp 
snappy blacks where possible and the resulting plate will 
more than pay for the trouble and time. No mechanical re¬ 
touching after the plate is etched can equal the effect and wear¬ 
ing qualities of the etching itself. 

Now paste thin orange or red paper all around the edge 
of the positive, the inner edge of the paper being about one- 
eighth of an inch beyond the edge of the work or picture, itself 
and lay aside for the present. 

We must first obtain a roll or pieces of Autogravure Car¬ 
bon tissue, which comes from the Autotype Co. of London and 


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4 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


can be obtained from the American agents, George Murphy, 
Inc., of New York. This is made expressly for this purpose 
and can be had in various colors. Personally I prefer the No. 
3 Burnt Sienna. The object of the colored pigment is simply 
to enable one to see one’s work as it progresses. This tissue 
is now to be sensitized and for this purpose a solution of 
bichromate of potassium in water must be made according to 
the directions. This solution should be placed in a deep 
dish somewhat larger than the piece of tissue to be sensitized 
and the latter placed therein. It will almost immediately curl 
up and should be uncurled with the fingers and all bubbles 
or foreign matter gently brushed off with a flat camel’s hair 
brush. Keep unrolling it from side to side until it lies flat in 
the solution, but care must be taken never to allow the fingers 
to touch the surface, or the greasy marks so obtained will 
repel the acid in etching and cause blemishes and much hard 
work to remove. 

This operation of sensitizing must be performed in a dim 
yellow or orange light, preferably in the late afternoon and 
the sensitized tissue hung up by pins or otherwise in the dark, 
being dry and ready for use in the morning. 

Next, obtain from some reputable concern — I might men¬ 
tion the New York Copper Co.—some special copper made 
for photogravure. It is especially polished with a very high 
finish and should be almost as good in reflection as a mirror. 
This should be of a size rather larger than the paper on which 
the finished plate is to be printed and must be absolutely 
chemically clean and free from grease. To prevent tearing the 
fingers in handling and catching in the towels in drying, round 
off the edges and corners of the copper both back and front 
with a medium file first, finishing with a finer one. 

Boil up in a kettle a strong solution of potash and water 
and with the help of a stiff brush and a box of whiting in 
which the wet brush is rubbed, clean the copper thoroughly, 
washing under running water and removing the tarnish with 
a weak solution of nitric acid in water. Have several towels 
(the common dish towel is best) ready and dry thoroughly and 
rapidly, breathing on the copper at the last and again rubbing 
with the driest towel. 

A graining box must now be made. This is a square box, 
the size depending on the size of plates to be produced, made 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


5 


so that it revolves. Any attachments, however, must be on 
the outside and no rod can be run through the box at the 
center. A door about five inches wide, hinged at the bottom, 
should be placed about one-fifth of the way from the bottom 
of the box and level with it four or five rods run across 
from front to back inside to support a board on which the 
copper plates are later to be placed. A great improvement 
for more serious work is a high stationary box with a circular 
bottom, operated with a fan attachment which revolves and very 
much lessens the time of the operation. 

Now, place in the graining box several pounds of the finest 
ground bitumen or asphaltum and revolve rapidly. Let stand 
for a minute or two to get rid of the coarser particles 
and then place the cleaned copper plates on a board and 
gently insert in the box. Care must be taken to eliminate all 
draughts and any cracks in the box should have slips of heavy 
paper pasted over them. The fine particles of bitumen in 
suspension in the box will settle in about half an hour, when 
the plates can be carefully removed and “cooked” or “burnt 
in” over a gas stove. This is best accomplished by holding 
the plate at the corners with pliers or nippers having a flat 
holding surface. Start by heating from the corners inwards, 
moving the plate continuously and evenly. It will gradually 
turn blue, but the heating must be continued until in holding 
the plate down against the light it appears to be of a dull 
red brown color, uniform all over. The grain may be ex¬ 
amined with a strong magnifying glass and each individual speck 
should be of about the size of the space between the specks. 

We now take our sensitized tissue in a dark-room or room 
with ruby or yellow light and cut it to size, allowing for at 
least one-quarter inch more on each side than the size of the 
space within the paper border on the positive. Care should 
be taken to cut square with a sharp knife and steel rule, 
preferably on a zinc covered board. Rough edges cause 
trouble and cutting square is a great help in getting correct posi¬ 
tion on the copper. 

Purchase a Wynne Actimometer, or printing gauge, and 
a little experience in comparing the tints with the density 
of the positive to be printed from will soon enable us to tell 
how far or to what tint the printing must proceed. It is 
impossible to tell when the sensitized tissue is correctly printed 


6 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


by merely looking at it, hence the use of the actimometer. 
Place in the latter a piece of P. O. P. and superimpose the 
cut tissue on the film side of the positive, taking care to allow 
it to project evenly on all sides over the edge of the picture 
itself. This is readily ascertained by adjusting while holding up 
to a lighted gas jet. 

Now, place in the printing frame, using backing of several 
sheets of white blotting paper and a piece of felt and expose 
with the actimometer, side by side, but not in sunlight, as it 
tends to flatten the final results. Examine the actimometer 
from time to time till printing is complete. 

While printing is going on fill a deep porcelain dish with 
pure cold water and brush off any foreign matter on the 
grained plate with the hand under running water, pour a very 
weak solution of sulphuric acid and water over the plate to 
remove tarnish. Wash again under running water and place 
in the disk. Take the printed tissue out of the frame and 
with the shades down in daylight, or with the use of a gas 
jet at night, place it in water, gently brushing off any 
fluff or other foreign matter with a flat camel’s hair brush. 
When the tissue begins to uncurl, rapidly place it in position 
over the copper and remove from the water, removing all 
superfluous moisture by using a flat rubber squeegee from side 
to side in all directions. This must be carefully and thor¬ 
oughly accomplished to make the tissue adhere and to remove 
any air bubbles. Stand in a rack for ten minutes or a quarter 
of an hour to set. 

Take the same deep porcelain dish and after thoroughly 
cleaning fill with warm water of a temperature of about 110 
Fahrenheit and immerse the plate in this. After a few 
minutes press the edges of the tissue with the fingers and 
as soon as the color runs out the paper backing is ready to be 
removed by inserting the finger nail under a corner and 
gently pulling it off the plate. Wash away all soluble gelatine 
by splashing the warm water over the plate till no more can 
be romoved. It is here that the color pigment begins to 
demonstrate its uses. Then swill under cold water faucet 
and place in a rack to dry, or if in a hurry place in a dish 
or pure wood alcohol for a few minutes. 

Meantime some powdered bitumen should have been thor¬ 
oughly dissolved in benzole and diluted if necessary with 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


7 


more benzole or a little turpentine until of a consistency to 
run smoothly and easily from a ruling pen. Make it just thin 
enough to run, as if it is any thinner it will spread and do more 
harm than good. This is commonly known as Brunswick 
black. 

With the assistance of set squares the plate must now be 
squared and a mark made in pencil outside the picture beyond 
the ends of imaginary lines at each side of the picture. These 
lines must be within the edge of the image, as any blank 
copper beyond that edge will etch black. The lines must only 
be marked outside the work, as if the pencil is allowed to mark 
the tissue itself, unless very carefully done, abrasions will 
follow. Now, fill the ruling pen and with a steel rule as 
guide rule around, using the above pencil marks. It is ad¬ 
visable to do opposite sides alternately, so that when a ruled 
line is crossed by another ruled line the first has had a chance 
to set and no blur occurs at the corners. With a brush paint 
all the exposed copper with the Brunswick black, care being 
taken not to allow it to flow, over the lines and also to remove 
all bubbles. Put aside to thoroughly set, which should not 
take more than half an hour. The more the Brunswick black 
is diluted with turpentine the longer it takes to dry. 

Obtain some pure perchloride or iron (lump) and place 
in a non-metal jar of any kind within a saucepan of water 
(water kettle) over a gas heater until melted. When suffi¬ 
ciently cool measure this and add to it half the amount of pure 
water. 

Bordering wax can be obtained from any process supply 
house, or it can readily be made at home. Soften in warm 
water, roll on a bench or table till rolled out round and about 
three-quarter inch in diameter, then press firmly down all 
around the plate. (Adhering to the bench when rolling out 
may be stopped by sprinkling thereon common talcum pow¬ 
der.) The height may be increased by thinning out at the top 
by pressure and at the corners the wax must at least be straight 
and perfectly sloping inwards to prevent the etching solution 
from flowing over. At the lower right hand corner thin out 
and form into a lip by which to pour off the acid. 

For etching we have our perchloride solution in a measure, 
an empty cup, a teaspoon and a small vessel containing boiling 
water. Take the mould as the prepared plate is now called 


8 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


and pour over it some of the perchloride, care being taken 
to cover it all over AT ONCE. Flood it and then remove all 
but enough iron to "well cover the surface. Rock or move 
the plate so as to keep the liquid in continuous motion, as 
where the acid is at work, if stationary it will deteriorate 
before the etching is complete. Etching will be plainly seen 
as soon as it commences, as it shows black. An average time 
that this should be complete in is about eight or ten minutes. 
It depends very much on the grain — the finer the grain the 
shorter the etching or the grain will crumble and vice versa. 
As the etching progresses add a half teaspoonful of hot water 
from time to time. Place it in the cup and pour off the per¬ 
chloride into it so that it mixes thoroughly. Experience alone 
will tell you how much water to add. The etching must 
be gradual from start to finish so that all tones are 
relatively correct, and it is well to pay particular attention to 
the final tones to insure getting all the delicate detail. It is 
better to over-etch than otherwise, as retouching for high lights 
on the plate is a simple matter. 

Now pour off the perchloride and allow cold water to run 
on the plate to remove all vestiges of acid. Add warm water 
and allow to stand a few moments, when the wax will soften 
and can be removed. Place the plate on a sloping board in 
the sink and pour on it hot water and a strong solution of 
potash and scrub with a brush and whiting, care being taken 
to obtain brushes that are made for the purpose, or scratches 
may be caused. Wash off under the faucet and flood the 
plate with a weak solution of nitric acid to remove all tarnish. 
Repeat these operations until the etching residue and the 
gelatine are all removed, and then dry. Place on a flat sur¬ 
face and with oil and Putz pomade, or any first class non¬ 
scratching metal polish, rub until the surplus grain is all re¬ 
moved and the plate is now ready for a rough proof. 

Space will not permit me to go into details of printing, re¬ 
touching and steel facing beyond one or two remarks. 

For the printing of photogravures a plate printing press is 
necessary on which the plates are printed by hand, the paper 
being damp and afterwards dried and pressed. 

For retouching a diffused light is necessary — a paper screen 
will do—and such tools as scrapers, burnishers, roulettes and 
dry points. Blacks and high lights can both be added with 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


9 


ease after a little practice, spots and blemishes removed and 
the plate greatly improved. 

When the proof is finally O. K.’d the finished plate should 
be thoroughly burnished on the margins outside the picture 
proper and quite free from scratches, or these will show in 
the prints and give the printer endless trouble. The copper 
is soft and will soon wear out, but a thin infinitesimal coat of 
iron protects this and must always be removed as soon as it 
shows signs of wear. 

This steel facing is accomplished by immersing the chem¬ 
ically clean plate in a bath consisting of a solution of sal 
ammoniac and water to which has been added sulphate of 
iron, and in which hangs a sheet of iron as an anode. The 
current being turned on, the plate is allowed to hang in the 
bath for five minutes, then removed and scrubbed with water 
and whiting, washed and replaced in the bath. This opera¬ 
tion must be repeated three or four times until a sufficient 
thickness of iron has been deposited, when the plate is re¬ 
moved and dried very rapidly to prevent rusting and imme¬ 
diately oiled, when it is ready for the printer. 

It is a good plan to stamp a number on the back of each 
plate, keeping an album in which an impression from each is 
kept for reference with its corresponding number. This should 
be done just before steel facing. 

In the whole process it is necessary to constantly remember 
three things: care as to absolute cleanliness, care as to minute 
details and the use of pure chemicals and water. 

I feel that many important details are herein lacking, but 
space will permit of no more. I shall be glad at any time to 
advise or help anyone desiring any further complete informa¬ 
tion. 


Committee Note —Experimenting on photogravure plates should 
prove both interesting and instructive to our members, the experience and 
information gained will prove very beneficial if contemplating rotogra¬ 
vure work. If inconvenient to erect a graining box, the same procedure 
can be followed of using a positive screen when making carbon prints 
as explained in the rotogravure process. The Metzograph screens num¬ 
bers 5 to 8 being especially adaptable. 



INTAGLIO PROCESS MARVEL 
OF PRINTING 


(From the American Photo-Engraver, March-April, 1914.) 


S part of the issue of the Public Ledger of January 
25, 1914, was a twelve-page supplement filled with 
intaglio process engravings, the result of consider¬ 
able experimenting and earnest effort on the part 
of the engravers and printers engaged upon. As it 
stands, this supplement is one of the most remarkable achieve¬ 
ments in art printing ever due to newspaper enterprise. 

The large edition of these supplements was printed on the 
Public Ledger’s two rotogravure presses, which were built in 
Germany and represent the latest improvements introduced into 
this remarkable machine. While the intaglio supplement was 
not the first attempt at intaglio printing by an American news¬ 
paper, it is the first time the process has been used so exten¬ 
sively in a single issue, and for the first time what had been 
regarded as a refractory method of printing has been tamed 
by the skill and patience of expert workmen. 

But the most remarkable phase of the intaglio supplement 
is the fact that it is only the forerunner of a regular Sunday 
feature of the newspaper. 

No more beautiful method of reproducing works of art has 
ever been devised, and while the basic principles of the intaglio 
method have been utilized for half a century, it was only within 
recent years that the process received that rapid advancement 
and improvement that made it a commercial success. 

Thirty years ago such a supplement as the Public Ledger’s 
would have been impossible for two reasons. In the first place 
it would have required probably a year’s time to prepare and 
print, and then the cost would have been prohibitive for such 
a large edition. Indeed, a writer on reproductive processes in 
1877, referred to the intaglio process then in use as being en¬ 
tirely unable to compete with photolithography for cheapness 
or with surface printing—such as the half-tone block, for rapid¬ 
ity and cheapness. But, in the meantime, the intaglio process 
has been revolutionized, and the result is that it is now possible 
to obtain with a newspaper works of art as beautifully repro- 


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PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 11 


duced and as effective as the finest and most expensive produc¬ 
tions of a quarter century back. 

For a few years some of the expensive European illustrated 
weeklies and monthly magazines have, from time to time, issued 
a few pages of pictures printed by the intaglio method, but the 
uncertainty that heretofore has attended all efforts to make 
the process a regular feature has prevented the process from 
being generally used. 

While the beauty of the velvety shadows that are found 
in reproductions by the intaglio process delights the eye of 
all who enjoy artistic printing, and even attracts the attention 
of all who even see them, there are other advantages in the 
use of this wonderful process. While intaglio etching is as old 
as etching itself, and the photogravure methods upon which 
the present examples of intaglio are based have been known 
and used to a limited extent for the last forty years, the genius 
who harnessed the method to the rotary press revolutionized 
the whole art, and has made it accessible to commercial and 
newspaper purposes which previously had not been dreamed 
possible. 

It is a strange but true assertion that the intaglio, the 
best reproductive process known, after its plates are made, gives 
no further trouble to the printer. That does not infer that 
there is no difficulty to be encountered in printing, for there 
is considerable, but this trouble does not lie with the plate, 
but is to be attributed to other parts of the printing process. 
In other words, the plate when it has been affixed to its posi¬ 
tion on the press, is a perfect piece and does not require what 
is technically known to printing as “make ready.” 

This is best illustrated by the statement that the use of 
fine half-tones require frequently many hours, or even a few 
days, where there are large surfaces to be overlaid, to get 
the best impressions from the half-tone block. With the in¬ 
taglio process, when used on the modern rotary press adapted 
to the work, no make-ready is necessary. 

A great saving of valuable time results from this fact, and 
it is due to this, in addition to the beauty of the result, that 
the intaglio process is destined to become more and more 
popular. 

About two years before Guttenberg invented the movable 
types and caused a revolution in the dissemination of knowl- 


12 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


edge that has in turn changed the train of events in the whole 
civilized world, a Florentine goldsmith, Maso Finiguerra, dis¬ 
covered intaglio printing. He succeeded in fixing on a piece 
of paper some black pigment that he had rubbed into a silver 
plate which he had engraved in intaglio. The impression which 
he obtained was the first step toward all etching processes that 
have followed. What are called painter etchings, or designs 
etched or scratched on a metal surface by an artist, and suD- 
sequently printed on a plate press, are intaglio engravings; thus 
the name card which nearly every person carries is an impres¬ 
sion from an intaglio engraving. 

But what we have come to recognize as the intaglio process 
is quite another matter. This depends upon a still later dis¬ 
covery—that of the sensitive salts of silver, or in other words, 
photography. Claimants for the honor of the discovery of 
intaglio processes are so closely dependent upon one another 
that at this late day it would be hazardous to assert that it was 
Talbot, or Swan, or Klic, or Merten, or Woodbury who is re¬ 
sponsible for the modern intaglio process, for each of them— 
and there were others, too—has been instrumental in the per¬ 
fection of the process and all have had a share in making it 
commercially possible. There are those who see in the younger 
Wedgwood’s experiments with fugitive profiles by the agency 
of light, as he termed the images on sensitized paper which he 
used, had something to do with pointing the way, and Wedgwood 
conducted these experiments as far back as 1802. 

Yet Wedgwood, by using paper, did influence Talbot, who 
was the first to make paper photographs, and in experiment¬ 
ing along these lines made use of the carbon gelatin process, 
which, as will be later noted, is the base of the present intaglio 
process, when applied to work done on a rotary press. 

Talbot also obtained patents for photo engraving on steel 
in 1852, and for photo engraving on copper in 1858, which dates 
were long before any photo engraving was regularly in com¬ 
mercial use anywhere. The process of Talbot contained all 
the essentials of successful photogravure, or intaglio engrav¬ 
ing, but of course was lacking in those characteristics that are 
required by a commercially possible process. Yet to William 
Henry Fox Talbot is due the attention that since his time has 
been paid to perfecting the intaglio process. 

Sir Joseph Wilson Swan, another British experimenter 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 13 


in photo engraving, carried to still further advance the Talbot 
process. In 1864 Swan patented his carbon process, which 
was an improvement on Talbot’s inasmuch as this made use of 
a carbon tissue. The rest of the process was rather complicated 
and too much so for consideration here. 

This carbon tissue briefly may be described as gelatine to 
which has been added a salt that is sensitive to the action of 
light, and, when the carbon tissue is only used for making 
rich, permanent prints on paper, such as may be seen at fash¬ 
ionable photographers, there has been added a pigment, which 
gives the needed color to the tissue. The tissue is exposed 
to the action of light through a photographic negative, and 
then developed in water. Where the tissue has been exposed 
to the light it has hardened the gelatine, and where the latter 
has been protected by the opaque parts of the negative, it is 
soluble, and washes away. The result is a beautiful permanent 
image which may be while wet afflxed to any flat surface. In 
fine photographs this surface is cardboard, and in intaglio 
processes, it is affixed to metal, where it awaits another step 
in the engraving process. 

Finally came Karl Klic of Vienna, who made a happy com¬ 
bination of both Talbot’s and Swan’s methods, about 1898, 
but, what was equally important, he devised a press and adapted 
the intaglio process to it for printing intaglio reproductions 
rapidly, from a web of paper fed through the machine just 
as the modern newspaper press is fed. The adaptation of the 
intaglio process to the rotary press was not quite so simple a 
matter as it appears to have been in relating the fact. 

Karl Klic (whose name is pronounced as if written Klisch) 
is a Bohemian by birth, but for the last dozen or more years 
he has been a resident of London, where he is connected with 
the Rembrandt Company, which concern admittedly executes 
the finest intaglio work in the world. It is said that the Bohe¬ 
mian was inspired to adapt the process to a rotary press by 
observing that the presses that print wall paper and calico, and 
those that print on silk and other fabrics were virtually in¬ 
taglio presses. Consequently the machine was adapted to 
print from intaglio engravings on paper, and for years the 
method was kept a secret, for it is said no patent was obtained 
for it. 

Secrets of that kind are difficult to protect where there are 


14 PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


enterprising experimenters, as there have been for years in 
the realms of photo-engraving processes in various parts of 
Europe. By degrees the work was being done in various Euro¬ 
pean countries, but all the independent workers met with difficul¬ 
ties that seemed to be insurmountable, and finally Herr Klic 
went to London, where he became connected with the Rem¬ 
brandt Company and gave to it his best advice and skill. 

Within the last year efforts have been made in this country 
to get a hold for commercial intaglio prints, and now there are 
numerous concerns that are executing excellent photogravure 
that surpasses anything done a quarter of a century back, when 
photogravure was the most expensive and the slowest photo¬ 
engraving process, and limited to small editions. The Public 
Ledger was the first American newspaper to begin the regular 
use of the intaglio process, and naturally a description of just 
what is meant by this intaglio process, and just how it is accom¬ 
plished, will be of interest. 

In the intaglio supplement of the Public Ledger both pic¬ 
tures and text are printed at the same time, and both are in¬ 
taglio. As difficulty is encountered in printing much type en¬ 
graved in this manner, it is necessary to make the textual ref¬ 
erence to the pictures as brief as is consistent with adequate 
description. Therefore, the procedure is something like this: 
The pictures are selected by the editor and sent to the en¬ 
gravers, the shape and number to a page and the place of each 
on the page, being indicated to the engraver. At the same 
time the titles and descriptions to each picture are set up in 
type in the usual manner, and proofs of these lines taken. These 
are then sent to the engraver, who now has both text and pic¬ 
tures. He also knows where each picture should go, and the 
arrangement of the pages. 

The pictures must first be, if necessary, either enlarged 
or reduced to the size they are to have in the printed page. 
When this is done the page is arranged, and the whole photo¬ 
graphed on a dry plate. This negative is exactly what every 
amateur photographer is acquainted with, excepting that the 
photo-engravers must be correct in its time and in its develop¬ 
ment, for the result must be perfect; otherwise, the result will 
be worse than a badly printed half-tone. 

From this negative a positive, or transparency, is made. 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 15 


Thus far the process is pure photography, but here the turn is 
made where the process enters into the operation. 

In order to understand why the operations that follow are 
performed it becomes necessary to inquire what result is re¬ 
quired. The half-tone block, which is now familiar to almost 
everybody, is a block that receives ink upon its surface and 
releases it, upon pressure, to some other material — usually 
paper. The intaglio process at the time the engraved plate 
is impressed by the paper has a perfectly clean surface, and 
all the ink it has received is held in its thousands of tiny cavi¬ 
ties, known technically as screen, and not altogether unlike a re¬ 
versed half-tone. 

And yet the intaglio plate is unlike an inverted half-tone 
to the extent that, like the painter-etching, its shadows are 
deeper than its middle tones, while its high lights are almost 
without depth, and theoretically they are entirely smooth surface. 

The rotary press requires a curved printing surface just as 
the newspaper press does. Consequently the plan of the wail 
paper and the calico printing machines suggested that the 
engravings be made on a metal cylinder. To do this, obviously 
it would be impossible to make the “print” for the etching 
upon it from a glass negative or positive, and the carbon tissue, 
already described, is here the obvious solution, hence its use 
at this stage of the process. 

In order to obtain the “grain” or “tooth” to the printing 
plate, which is essential in an intaglio plate, in order to hold 
the ink or color, until released upon the paper by pressure as 
the paper passes through the press, the use of a screen, the 
opposite of a half-tone screen, for this must be a positive rather 
than a negative screen, usually referred to as a “cross-line” 
screen, is used. This screen in the work in the intaglio sup¬ 
plement has 175 lines to the inch. This means that these lines 
are so close together that the unaided eye cannot detect the 
screen effect, and thus the tantilizing and obvious screen pat¬ 
tern of the commercial half-tone is obviated, and the effect 
is a beautiful velvety impression. 

Before the transparency or positive is used to translate the 
image to the carbon tissue it is placed in the hands of artists 
who use this opportunity to retouch the places that would be 
benefited by such treatment. At this time also slight corrections 


16 PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


may be made by the artist. The retouching having been com¬ 
pleted satisfactorily, the transparency is placed in contact with 
the carbon tissue, and a “print” made in the usual photographic 
manner, by exposing to actinic light, usually to the light from 
a powerful arc lamp. When this has been done the carbon 
tissues are made for the other pages that are destined 
for the same printing cylinder, and all of them are ar¬ 
ranged in an immense printing frame, familiar in smaller 
sizes to amateur photographers. In this frame is already 
a large cross-line screen, already alluded to, and the carbon 
tissues placed behind it, are kept in contact by pneumatic pres¬ 
sure, while the frame and its contents are exposed for a few 
seconds to the electric lights. 

The tissues are now placed in their order upon the copper 
cylinder and squeezed upon the metal, which has been rubbed 
with charcoal to remove grease and surface scratches. The 
carbon tissues are all handled upon paper and the development 
that follows is carried on from behind the tissue; that is, on 
the side toward the operator, and through the paper. 

The paper is thoroughly saturated with water. As the 
paper is coated with a skin of gelatine, which has been sensi¬ 
tized where the light has not penetrated the tissue, it leaves 
that part of the gelatine soluble which the water readily dis¬ 
solves and permits the paper to be peeled off the cylinder, 
leaving a photographic resist upon it. 

The cylinder is now “varnished” on its exposed parts, and 
the work of etching begins. To accomplish this the cylinder is 
laid in a large trough where there are supports to hold the cylin¬ 
der, but give it all the movement the operator requires. When the 
etching is carried as far as is believed necessary, and for such 
editions as are required for the Public Ledger, it is necessary to 
etch in the solids, or shadows down to quite 9-1000 of an inch, 
the cylinder is cleaned off and set on the press. As each cylin¬ 
der prints but a single side of a paper, it is necessary to have 
two, and this results in virtually combining two rotary intaglio 
presses. 

As has been related, the paper is fed to the press from a 
web or roll, just as is used on newspaper presses, excepting 
that a different kind of paper is advisable. For the intaglio 
process soft, absorbent paper is best, for it absorbs the ink 
quickly, and at the same time gives least wear to the engraved 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


17 


cylinder. The paper runs from the web to the printing cylinder, 
where it receives the impression, and is then carried up and 
over a large drum which is heated sufficiently to dry the ink 
before it is passed to the next part of the press and receives 
impressions on the other side of the paper. Subsequently it 
is cut into sheets automatically, and by the same means piled 
up sheet by sheet on a table placed to receive them at the foot 
of the press. 

Those who work the process will tell you one part or an¬ 
other part is the crux of the whole operation. Some contend 
that the secret of success lies in ink or paper, and it is ad¬ 
mitted that the process demands the greatest care in each stage 
and also in the selection of both paper and ink. 

To the untechnical observer the most interesting part of the 
press work is the manner in which the plate or cylinder receives 
its ink and the ingenious attachment which relieves it of all sur¬ 
plus color. The engraved plate or cylinder receives its ink 
from a wooden roller which is partly immersed in a trough of 
rather liquid ink. The ink is of volatile character containing 
benzine and turpentine as diluting agents. The surplus ink 
is scraped off by a long knife, which scrapes the cylinder lightly, 
and the pressure by which the ink is impressed upon the paper 
is obtained by means of a rubber roller acting between the paper 
and the engraved cylinder. 

The copper cylinders used in the process are orginally about 
three-quarters of an inch in thickness, but after being used 
are placed upon a lathe and the engravings removed by means 
of a revolving stone. Before they are fit to be again used they 
are placed upon a burnisher and receive a high polish, and then 
are ready to be engraved again. 


The half-tone, 
negative screen. 




The gravure 
positive screen. 


THE ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 
PROCESS 

By COMMITTEE. PHOTO ENGRAVERS UNION No. 1 


HE keen observer of progress and events, in the Graphic 
Arts, has heard and read much for years of photo¬ 
gravure; in fact, the process was always interesting 
and good results were obtained long before the half¬ 
tone process was perfected. It was, however, slow of 
development and never until recently made commercially possi¬ 
ble, the operation being slow and tedious, which naturally made 
it expensive. 

The introduction of the cylinder gravure for the rotary press 
has, however, revolutionized the process to such an extent as 
to make it a keen competitor, and a factor to be. considered in 
the plate making industry, and has aroused renewed interest 
in its results and in the methods of its operation. 

That good results have been obtained cannot be denied. 
That the work is appreciated is best demonstrated by the ever 
increasing demand to the publisher, for more and larger gravure 
supplements. As in all intaglio processes, the shadows are 
deeper and richer than in surface printing; the middle tones 
having a delicate and soft appearance, while the general grada¬ 
tion of color is far greater in range than can be had by any 
other method of printing. This is perhaps best explained by the 
fact that in all surface printing, the ink is delivered to the paper 
in one thin layer, it being as thick on the lightest dot as on 
the deepest shadow, while the important thing in intaglio print¬ 
ing is the fact that where it is the darkest the ink is actually 
thicker and grades down in amount, through all shades to the 
extreme high lights, which are cleaned off to pure white. This 
actual standing of the ink in relief on the paper in the deeper 
tones gives a velvety appearance, which cannot fail but appeal 
to the eye. 

Half-tone, or any other surface printing with a fine mesh, 
depends almost entirely for its best effect on a clear crisp im¬ 
pression and a uniform gradation of the size of the printing 
dot. If the dots are ragged at the edges and the white spaces 
blurred with ink the impression immediately appears muddy 
and slurred. By pressing a half-tone plate against a rough 







PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


19 


paper or even a paper with a texture to its surface, the result 
is always a broken tint, as the ink only touches the highest 
points of the paper, in an attempt to force the paper and ink 
into even contact by overlaying the effect will invariably be 
squashed and muddy. Half-tone, therefore, is only at its best 
when using paper with a smooth or finished surface. On the 
other hand, these difficulties are not in evidence with intaglio 
printing; here the screen image is engraved into the copper 
surface and by the medium of the rubber impression cylinder the 
printing dot and paper are always in perfect contact. The dots 
cannot spread, they do not appreciably wear, and carry a uniform 
amount of ink for each impression, making it adaptable to either 
the smoothest finished or roughest and softest stock alike. 

In color printing the rotary-gravure will also be a factor in 
the future; already two New York concerns are turning out 
work in color which is very satisfactory and pleasing, and 
while certain difficulties are still to be overcome in the matter of 
perfect register, the work produced shows that the possibilities 
exist for good results by this process. 

Following is a simple description of the rotary photogravure 
process, as most generally used. First understand that there are 
several methods of producing this work, which, although being 
used extensively, is still in more or less of an experimental stage, 
each of the concerns, at present engaged in the business, using 
some slightly different method; the general workings, however, 
and the final results obtained being about the same. 

Any copy with tone value will be suitable for gravure; in 
other words, any copy, that will allow of good half-tone repro¬ 
duction will be equally well suited for gravure work, the best 
results naturally being obtained from the copy with strong 
contrasts and good color value. 

A continuous negative is first made (that is, a negative 
without the screen as is used in half tone). In the past, dry plates 
were used almost exclusively; these are now being replaced to 
a great extent with wet plate negatives, both are equally prac¬ 
tical, for while the dry plate allows of easier manipulation by 
the retoucher, the wet plate negatives are sharper and in many 
cases need little or no retouching whatever. 

In case of a combination page, or pages, where various sub¬ 
jects with text are to be illustrated, as in newspaper work, maga¬ 
zines, etc., where the dry plate method is to be used, the layouts 


20 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


or drawings are made for same size reproductions; a complete 
form being made up. (This form is used to hold the negatives 
in a layout for the making of the positives as will be explained 
later.) This form is made by laying a glass the size of the plate 
to be made over the drawing or photograph, then covering all 
the outlines and outsides with opaque, or black paper, simply 
leaving a space for the negatives, to set in their proper places. 
These negatives are then cut to fit their proper spaces, in the 
form in which they are placed, all transparency around being 
opaqued, so that when the dry plate positive, which is later made 
from this form, or layout of negatives, is complete it will show 
a clear film. (Wet plate positives have also been used with 
satisfaction.) All line work such as borders and type, where 
any are to appear, are made positive, by the wet plate process 
and stripped into place on the positive form, which is then com¬ 
plete and ready for retouching and printing. 

In using negatives made by the wet plate process the con¬ 
tinuous negative is made, which is later inserted into a layout, 
or form, the same as in the half-tone process, a dry or wet 
plate positive then being made from this negative. 

In using either the wet or dry plate process it is essential 
that all negatives be of the same density, with covering (or veil) 
in the blacks and shadows, and of the same even strength in the 
high lights. 

Most of the improvements which on half-tone work is done 
on the copper plate by re-etching and burnishing and the cut¬ 
ting of panels and white lines, is in gravure work, done on the 
negative or positive (generally on the latter) shades and detail 
being accentuated and touched in with an ordinary lead pen¬ 
cil ; the middle tones being reduced with liquid retouching 
medium, and the pure whites being cut completely out of 
the positive film. On certain subjects an air brush is also used 
to good advantage. 

The positive forms are next composed for the cylinder in 
their proper page relation if to print in book or newspaper form; 
in other words, the work which in a printing establishment is 
done on what is known as the “stone’' or make-up table, is here 
done by assembling the positives. 

When properly assembled these aggregate positives are 
printed on to sensitized carbon tissue in a vacuum printing frame; 
(This carbon tissue is a gelatine covered sheet of paper made 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 21 


sensitive by immersing in a bichromatic solution.) ; it is here 
where much care must be taken to secure uniform even prints 
of proper tone value, as the color of the tissue hides the effect 
of light, the printing is done with the aid of an actinometer, after 
which this same tissue is put into another vacuum printing frame 
fitted with a screen, and printed on top of the print of the 
positive. (This method of printing the carbon tissue can be 
reversed by printing the screen first and the positive after.) 
(It must also be remembered that the negative or positive can 
be made through a screen; this, however, allows of little or no 
retouching on the positives and is not generally used.) 

(It is also possible and in the early stages of experimenting 
was frequently practised to make separate carbon prints of the 
positive and the screen, then transferring the latter over the 
former onto the cylinder; this to prevent pin-holes or “devils,” 
the one film covering the holes of the other. With careful 
operation, however, this practice is unnecessary.) 

Just a word in reference to the screen: The carbon prints 
being made from positives, the screen used must also be a 
positive screen and not a negative screen, as used when mak¬ 
ing the half-tone plates. There is also this difference to note 
which is very essential, in a half-tone negative screen the width 
of the lines which cross each other are equal to the width between, 
in other words, the width of the opaque lines is equal to the 
white transparent openings. On the other hand, the gravure 
positive screen is different in that its transparent lines which 
cross each other are thinner, being usually about one-sixth 
the width of the opaque squares between. 

The carbon tissue having been printed, both with the 
positive of the subject and the screen, it is floated in water and 
all loose pigments and foreign matter carefully removed by 
gently washing with a flat camel’s hair brush, after which it 
is placed onto a seamless copper cylinder, film part down, and 
gently but firmly squeegeed into contact so as to remove all 
air bubbles and to make the film adhere firmly to the copper. 

After having been allowed time to set and dry, the paper 
part of the carbon tissue, being on the outside is carefully 
removed from the gelatine portion, by immersing and washing 
in warm water of a temperature of from 100 to 120 degrees 
Fahrenheit, which leaves the gelatin portion only, adhering to 
the copper cylinder. 


22 PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


The cylinder in this condition, after being allowed time to 
dry, or, if in a hurry, dried with pure wood alcohol, is ready for 
etching, the film acting as resist to the etching solution. Margins 
and other parts not to be etched are protected with asphaltum, 
same as in any other etching, the cylinder revolving in an etching 
bath, the etching solution being iron perchloride fourteen 
pounds to one pound of ferric hydrate (ferric hydrate is the 
precipitate made by pouring ammonia into perchloride solu¬ 
tion) just covered with water and stirred well, hot water being 
preferable. Test with Baume hydrometer to 45 degrees. Dilute 
separate portions to 43, 40, 38, 36 and 33 degrees. The weaker 
solutions penetrate the gelatin more easily, and therefore should 
not be used until sufficient depth is obtained in the dark and 
middle tones with the stronger solutions. After the etching 
is complete (the etching in its deepest tones is not more than 
5/1000 of an inch deep) the cylinder is thoroughly cleansed of 
the residue and the gelatin, when more or less improvements 
can be made by the careful manipulation of roulettes, dry points, 
scrapers, burnishers and charcoal, also by retopping different 
portions and re-.Tching. Blacks, shadows and high lights can 
be added with ease after a little practice, spots and blemishes 
removed and the general appearance of the work greatly im¬ 
proved. In the future much local improvement and finishing 
will undoubtedly be made on the etched cylinder, same as is 
at present done on the flat etched half-tone plate. 

The etching and finishing being complete, the cylinder is 
now ready for the printing press, which in its operation is 
quite simple. The copper cylinders are hollow and generally 
from one-half to three-fourths of an inch in thickness, they are 
mounted on mandrels which are collapsible for their re¬ 
moval when not coupled to the press. When both sides 
of the paper are to be printed two cylinders are pre¬ 
pared, one for each side, both cylinders being adjusted on to 
one press, usually one at each end. For color work three cylin¬ 
ders have been placed on one press. As the printing cylinder 
revolves it passes through a fountain or trough of ink which 
covers the entire cylinder. (This ink is quite thin, being about 
as heavy as cream; it is made of an aniline dye dissolved in a 
solution consisting largely of xylol; it also contains benzole 
and turpentine and is, therefore, extremely evaporative. 
Almost immediately, however, it passes under and in contact 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 23 


with a long steel blade or knife which is smoothly sharpened 
and known as the ‘‘doctor.” This “doctor” moves slowly from 
left to right, and is so finely adjusted as to wipe perfectly clean 
the entire surface of the cylinder, leaving the ink only in the 
cavities or screen pockets of the etched image. The paper 
which is fed into the press from a spool or web passes between 
the inked cylinder and a rubber surfaced pressure cylinder and 
is forced into and picks the ink from the cavities of the etched 
cylinder. It next passes over a heating drum, lined with hot 
air, gas or steam pipes for drying, and then on to the other 
cylinder for printing on the reverse side, then back over the 
heating drum and on to the cutter and folder. 

The ink at present used dries almost immediately; no doubt 
in the near future an ink will be manufactured which will make 
it possible to do away with the drying compartments. In fact, 
this has already been done with slow speed printing. This 
quick drying of the ink is important, as it not only prevents 
offsetting but make it possible for the web to continue rapidly 
from one cylinder to another. 

The quick drying has also made possible the multi-colored 
rotogravure, the paper web running from one printing cylinder 
to others for as many colors as may be necessary. In smaller 
printing for color work it has also been found practical to print 
individual fed sheets, some very fine three and four color work 
having been produced. 

After an etched cylinder has served its purpose it is placed 
on a lathe and ground down by means of a revolving stone, and 
polished with charcoal, until its surface is perfectly smoooth and 
all trace of the etching removed. In this manner cylinders can 
be used repeatedly. It is also possible to deposit a new shell of 
copper over the etched cylinders by electrolysis, when they can 
be turned true in a lathe and polished. 

Rotogravure has undoubtedly come to stay. It must 
be remembered that the first rotogravure press in this coun¬ 
try only started in operation a few years ago; already it has 
lured no small amount of work into this channel. That there 
is big room for improvement must also be admitted; the process 
is simple and as has been demonstrated, practical; its further 
development will most likely be accomplished by the competent 
photo-engraver, who, with his years of practical experience 
at plate-making, will quickly get the best possible results out 
of the process, to which it is capable of being perfected. 


24 PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 



Upper Picture —Thoroughly cleaning the cylinder with potash and 
sulphuric acid, the former to remove all grease, the latter, the stain. 

Lower Picture —Transferring a section of the printed carbon tissue 
to the prepared cylinder. 

Illustrations from N. C. R. Weekly. 











PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 25 



Upper Picture —Squeegeeing carbon tissue in firm contact with cylin¬ 
der to remove all air bubbles. 

Lower Picture— cylinder, the gelatine film acts as a resist to 
the etching solution. 

Illustrations from N. C. R. Weekly. 
















26 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 



Upper Picture —Sectional view of Merten’s press, showing etched 
cylinder and “doctor” in position; the latter scrapes perfectly clean all 
surface ink on the former. 

Lower Picture —Removing etching from copper cylinder for future 
use, by means of a revolving stone. 

Illustrations from N. C. R. Weekly. 









PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 27 



Upper Picture —Showing cutter and folder attached to gravure press. 
Lower Picture —Showing to advantage, etched cylinder, rubber and 
impression cylinder and on top large drying drum. 

Photos by courtesy R. Hoe & Co. 





















NOTES, FORMULAE AND USEFUL TABLES FOR 
PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTOGRAVURE 


Negatives should possess a good scale of gradation and be fairly 
strong, though not hard, with plenty of detail. Shadows should not 
be clear glass. Dry plates or wet plates may be used. 

Transparencies may be made by any process, they should be 
as thin as possible consistently with preservation of the scale of grada¬ 
tion. Provided detail is present in high lights, any increase in density 
in the transparency is not only unnecessary but undesirable. 


DRY PLATE DEVELOPERS 


No. 1 

Hydroquinone . 

Metabisulphite of Potash.. 

Bromide of Potassium. 

Water (distilled) . 


HYDROQUINONE 

No. 2 


150 grs. Sulphite Soda . 2 oz. 

10 grs. Caustic Soda .100 grs. 

50 grs. Water (distilled) . 20 oz. 


20 oz. Use equal parts No. 1 and No. 2. 


No. 1 

Water. 

Oxalic Acid . 

Pyrogallic Acid. 

Metol . 

Bromide Potassium 


PYRO AND METOL 

No. 2 


16 oz. Water.64 oz. 

oz. Sulphite Soda . 8 oz. 

1 oz. Carbonate Soda. 4 oz. 


.y oz. Use 1 oz. No. 1 to 5 oz. 2. 
16 grs. Water 2 to 4 oz. 


PYRO 


No. 1 


Oxalic Acid. 2 drs. 

Pyrogallic Acid . 1 oz. 

Water.15 oz. 


Winter —1 oz. No. 1 to 2 oz. No. 
2. Water, 8 oz. 


No. 2 


Water.60 oz. 

Sulphite Soda.10 oz. 

Carbonate Soda . 5 oz. 


Summer—^ oz. No. 1 to 1 oz. 
No. 2. Water, 9 oz. 


HYDROQUINONE SINGLE DEVELOPER 


Hydroquinone .100 grs. 

Sulphite Sodium .I 14 oz. 

Carbonate Sodium. 3 oz. 

Water . 20 oz. 


EIKONOGEN 

No. 1 


Sodium Sulphite . 2 oz. 

Eikonogen .^ oz. 

Water.20 oz. 


DEVELOPER 

No. 2 

Carbonate Potassium. Vy oz. 

Water .20 oz. 

Mix equal parts No. 1 and No. 2. 


EIKONOGEN SINGLE DEVELOPER 


Sulphite Sodium . 2 oz. 

Carbonate Sodium . 1 oz. 

Water .20 oz. 

Eikonogen . y^ oz. 



































PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 29 


POSITIVE HYDROQUINONE-EIKONOGEN DEVELOPER 


No. 1 

Hydroquinone. 40 grs. 

Eikonogen .120 grs. 

Sulphite Sodium.480 grs. 

Citric Acid . 20 grs. 

Water . 20 oz. 


No. 2 

Bromide Potassium . 5 grs. 

Carbonate Sodium .60 grs. 

Caustic Potash .30 grs. 

Water .20 oz. 

Equal parts No. 1 and No. 2. 


FIXING BATH 

Hypo .5 oz. 

Water.20 oz. 

Metabisulphite of Potash....oz. 

Always use fresh clear fixing 
bath to avoid trouble 


REDUCERS FOR DRY PLATES 

Permanganate of Potassium..! dr. 

Sulphuric Acid .5 dr. 

Water .10 oz. 

This reduces lights and shadows even on negative when plate is wet. 
To reduce the high lights without material difference to shadows, 
have your negative dry before applying reducer. 

A B 

Ferricyanide of Potassium... 1 oz. Hyposulphite of Soda. 1 oz. 

Water .20 oz. Water . 5 oz. 

For use, 1 dram A to 2 oz. B. 

A strong reducing solution increases contrast, a weak one gives more 
uniform action. 

INTENSIFIERS FOR DRY PLATES 

A B 

Bichloride of Mercury. 1 oz. Iodide of Potash . 3 oz. 

Water .30 oz. Water .10 oz. 

C 

Acetate of Soda .2^ oz. 

Hyposulphate of Soda.Il4 oz. 

Dissolve ABC separately, and add B to A until the red precipitate 
which is first formed is just dissolved. Do not add more of B solution 
than is necessary to accomplish this reaction, then add solution C. 

This makes a very strong intensifier, which should be diluted to 
half strength for use; the stock solution must be kept in the dark or it 
will lose its strength very rapidly. 


WET PLATE FORMULAES 

BROMIDE COLLODIONS 


Ether . 10 oz. 

Alcohol .10 oz. 

Cotton .120 grs. 

Iodide Ammonium. 40 grs. 

Iodide Cadmium . 40 grs. 

Bromide Cadmium . 25 grs. 

Ether . 12 oz. 

Alcohol . 8 oz. 

Cellodion.190 grs. 


Ether . 10 oz. 

Alcohol .10 oz. 

Iodide Cadmium. 50 grs. 

Iodide Ammonium. 30 grs. 

Bromide Cadmium. 20 grs. 

Cotton .100 grs. 

lODIZERS 

Iodide Cadmium.600 grs. 

Iodide Ammonium.210 grs 

Iodide Sodium .210 grs. 

Bromide Cadmium .210 grs. 

Alcohol . 20 oz. 


Use 1 part lodizer to 15 parts Collodion. 
This collodion should ripen for 4 or 5 days. 












































30 


PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


POSITIVE COLLODION 


Ether . 


Alcohol . 


Cotton . 


. Iodide Cadmium . 

AmmoninmBrornide Cadmium_ 

... 50 grs. 

Alcohol . 



SPOTTING MEDIUM FOR NEGATIVES 

India ink and Payne’s grey mixed. 


RETOUCHI NG MEDIUM 

Gum Mastic . 20 grs. 

Pale Gum Resin.200 grs. Oil of Juniper. 1 gr. 

Gum Dammar. 90 grs. Oil of Turpentine.2 to 4 oz. 


Sulphuric Ether 

Benzole . 

Alcohol .. 

Gum Sandarac . 


GROUN D GLASS SUBSTI T UTE S 

retoucnmgnegMive s ^ 


4 oz. Gum Mastic .20 grs. 

2 oz. Gum Sandarac .90 grs. 

oz. Ether . 2 oz. 


100 to 150 grs. Dissolve in ether and add to 
1 ^ oz. benzole. 


AUTOTYPE PHOTOGRAVURE CARBON TISSUES 

No. 1. Red Chalk (is the duller No. 3. Burnt Sienna (is the 

red). brighter red). 

No. 2. Special Brown. G. 3. For flat bed printing. 

AUTOTYPE ROTARY GRAVURE CARBON TISSUES 

G. 4. For Rotary Gravure print- G. 5. For Rotary Gravure print¬ 
ing. ing. 

CARBON TISSUE SENSITIZER 

Bichromate Potassium. 1 oz. 

Water.20 to 30 oz. 

Liquor Ammonia 880.60 min. 

Immerse in bath about 3 minutes. _ 

If enclosed arc is used for printing and vigorous results are required, 
60 to 120 grains bichromate instead of 1 ounce. The tissue should al¬ 
ways be dried as rapidly as possible, squeezed on a chalked glass or 
Ferreo type sheet kept for the purpose in aired cupboard, temperature 
65 degrees to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The tissue should be used as 
quickly as possible after drying. 

Cleaning the Copper Plate. —Rub with cotton wool charged with 
solution of American potash, strength unimportant. Rinse off the potash. 
Apply a fresh piece of cotton wool moistened with sulphuric acid 
(strength 1 to 20 of water). The potash is to remove the grease, the 
acid to remove the tarnish. Rinse, and with another pad of cotton wool 
rub with a paste of washed whiting moistened with three per cent, 
solution of ammonia. This should be continued until, on rinsing the 
plate, water will run off evenly, and not stand in drops or streaks on 
the surface. Rinse plate with hot water and dry with a clean linen cloth 
kept for the purpose. 

Laying the Groimd for Photogravure Plate— Use a dusting box 
charged with finely powdered asphaltum. Stir up the dust with fan 























PHOTOGRAVURE AND ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE 


31 


and wait till heavier particles settle down. The longer the wait before 
putting plate in, the finer will be the ground. For a course grain wait 
20 seconds. After putting plate in let it remain one and one-half to 
five minutes, according to grain required. It may be necessary to with¬ 
draw plate and shake up again two or three times to get a very fine 
ground. Many of the best workers use finely powdered resin for the 
ground, but it needs more skill and practice. 

Fixing the Ground for Photogravure Plate. —Grip the plate in a hand 
vice, protecting it from the jaws with a slip of cardboard bent round 
the edge. Hold over a gas stove until color approaches a steel blue 
appearance. 

Mounting and Developing the Resist for Photogravure. —Place 
grained copper plate in a dish of clean filtered water at a temperature 
of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Immerse tissue in the water face up. 
Remove air bells from face, with clean camel's hair brush, then turn 
over the tissue and remove air bells from the back. As soon as tissue 
is limp, raise the plate and let tissue come into contact with it, lifting 
both out together. Lay on a flat surface and apply squeegee. Remove 
superfluous moisture with blotting-paper and set aside in horizontal 
position for ten minutes. Develop with water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 
If over-exposed, raise to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. After developing 
is complete, rinse in cold water and set aside to dry. If required for 
etching at once, flow with equal parts methylated spirit and water. 
Drying can be assisted with whirler. 

Varnishing Back and Margins of Photogravure Plate. —Apply var¬ 
nish made of one part bitumen in five parts benzole, or use photo varnish 
with “thinner” if necessary. First draw a line around the picture with 
a ruling pen charged with thin varnish, and paint up to this line with 
the varnish. 

ETCHING SOLUTIONS FOR PHOTOGRAVURE 
AND ROTOGRAVURE 

14 lbs. Iron perchloride. 

1 lb. Ferric hydrate. 

(Ferric hydrate is the precipitate made by pouring ammonia into 
perchloride solution.) Just cover with water and stir well. Hot water 
is preferable. Test with Beaume hydrometer to 45 degrees. Dilute 
separate portions to 43 degrees, 40 degrees, 38 degrees, 36 degrees, 33 
degrees. The weaker solutions penetrate gelatine more easily, and 
therefore should not be used until sufficient depth is obtained in the dark 
and middle tones with the stronger solutions. 

After etching is completed, rinse quickly, and immerse the plate 
in a 10 per cent, solution caustic potash, rub the plate with a tuft of 
cotton wool to remove resist, rinse again and dry, then remove bitumen 
grain with benzole, then clean the plate with nitric acid, 1 per cent, 
solution, finally finishing with washed whiting and ammonia. 


GLOSSARY 


Alcohol —Rectified spirits of wine, a class of compounds. 

Ammonia —Transparent pung'ent gas. 

Asphaltum —A bitumen, or mineral pitch. 

Benzole —A volatile liquid obtained by the distillation of coal tar. 

Bichromate —A salt having two parts chromic acid to one part of the 
base. 

Bromide —A compound of bromine. 

Bromine —A non-metallic element related to chlorine and iodine. 

Cadmium —A bluish-white ductile metal. 

Carbonate —A compound of carbonic acid with a base. 

Carbonic Acid —A gaseous, colorless compound of carbon and oxy¬ 
gen. 

Chlorine —A greenish yellow gas, possessing great bleaching qualities. 

Eikonogen —The sodium salt of amido, napthol, sulphorine acid. 

Ether —A lighter than air fluid, produced by the distillation of alco¬ 
hol with sulphuric acid. 

Gum Mastic —A resin from the mastic tree. 

Gum Sandarac —A resin. 

Hydroquinone —Prepared commercially by oxidizing analine sulphate 
with bichromate of potash. 

Metol —The sulphate of methyl, para, amidometa, cresol. 

Negative Cotton —Composed of sulphuric acid, nitric acid, and cotton. 

Nitric Acid —Composed of nitrogen andToxygen, obtained by action 
of sulphuric acid upon nitrate of potash. 

Perchloride —A compound of an excess of chlorine with a base. 

Potassium —A monad element, the metallic base of potash, an alkali 
obtained from ashes of certain plants. 

Pyro— An abbreviated term for “Pyrogallol,” a trihydroxybenzene 
derived from gallic acid by destructive distillation. 

Soda —An oxide of sodium, a metallic element. 

Sulphite —A salt of sulphuric acid. 

Sulphuric Acid —A heavy corrosive liquid, composed of sulphur, 
oxygen, and water. 

Turpentine —Juice of pine and fur trees. 

Xylol or Xylene —A colorless oily liquid found in coal and wood tar. 



